Replies

1. 
   wbfinewoodworking | Jul 23, 2007 02:09am | #1

   I hope that you have already left a deposit on those four. If you have room for the drill press and can take care of the transportation, why not get it too.

1. 
   CarvinChris | Jul 23, 2007 03:57am | #2

   One of my coworkers' father has the stuff.  He's not thought of selling it until his son (my coworker) told him about me looking to buy these machines (somewhere).

   Chris

2. 
   mapleman | Jul 23, 2007 04:00am | #3

   Chris,

   None of this is what I would call an exceptional deal, except the free drill press. Of the first 5, I would forget the radial arm. Not worth even close to $300 - and the adjustments usually never stay set (45, 90, etc.). I had 3 of these craftsman radial arm saws over the last few years (one I bought, and 2 that were given to me). All had the same problems. The rest of the stuff sounds like a fair deal, just not exceptional.

   My $.02

   Lee

1. 
   brownman | Jul 23, 2007 07:22am | #4

   I'm with mapleman. Doesn't sound much like good deals to me. There are so many newer upgraded tools out on the market now. Save your money and acquire the newer ones over time. The Craftsman radial arm saw shouldn't sell for more than $50.00, and I wouldn't pay that for it.
   Danny

1. 
   polarsea1 | Jul 23, 2007 12:41pm | #5

   I agree that the tablesaw and radial arm saw are probably not worth the asking price but the Ryobi resaw, if it's in decent shape, is a very good deal.

1. 
   CarvinChris | Jul 24, 2007 12:04am | #6

   I thank you guys for your input.  I was surprised to read the comments about the radial arm saw, I was under the impression they (Craftsman) are good machines. But, that's why I wrote this post; to get information from folks with more experience than me.

   Chris.

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Jul 24, 2007 03:11pm | #9

   I don't know if the price for the Craftsman RAS is good or not, but don't listen to the RAS bashers who think they are all junk. They are useful machines. I have a 30+ year old one in my shop for crosscutting -- I can't remember the last time I used the table saw for crosscutting. IMHO, miter guages are at least as suspect in the accuracy department as are RASs. I also believe crosscutting at the RAS is safer than on the TS since there is virtually no chance of kickback on the RAS.

   I was making some craftsman-style porch railing this weekend that involved a LOT (well over 100) of cross cut dados. I would have dreaded the job without the RAS. I ripped the stock to width on the TS, used the chop saw to cut to length, then moved over to the (Craftsman, of course -- LOL) RAS for dados. Slick and efficient.

   IIRC, Frank Klaus uses similar methods in at least one of his video series -- rip on the TS and cross cut on the RS.

   If it's in good shape, I would say paying about 1/2 the cost of a new one would be a decent deal.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

   Edited 7/24/2007 8:13 am ET by MikeHennessy

2. 
   polarsea1 | Jul 24, 2007 09:39pm | #10

   I wasn't bashing, my comment about the radial arm saw had nothing to do with it's suitability to the job but the price. I see Delta Super 900s and older (meaning good) Dewalts regularly for $50-100.

   Edited 7/24/2007 2:40 pm by polarsea1

3. 
   MikeHennessy | Jul 25, 2007 03:02pm | #11

   My comment was not directed at you or anyone in particular (sorry if it sounded that way). It just that there are many woodworkers who automatically dismiss a RAS as a valuable shop addition. If he can get one for a good price (and I repeat, I have no idea if the price he quoted was a good one), and he has room in the shop, it's a great tool to have. If mine ever croaks, I'll replace it in a heartbeat.

   But, now that I think about it, maybe all those RAS-bashers have had the effect of reducing the price of nice, used RASs to well below actual value. Hmmm -- Forget what I said -- I take it back! ;-)

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

3. 
   jhounshell | Jul 24, 2007 06:59am | #7

   I'm the guy who bought the Makita bandsaw you were talking about. The thing that is different with these older tools is they are built solid. The bandsaw I bought took three people to get it into my shop. New tools are not built like these older models. If the motor seems strong, go for it. I think it is worth the risk. I'm waiting on a blade for my new (old) band saw, but I anticipate great things. Sometimes really good deals fall into our laps, but they scare us off. I think older machines are built better by far than the new ones.

   Open up your check book and have fun!

   Jeff

4. 
   charlie4444 | Jul 24, 2007 10:52am | #8

   My 2 cents:  Due to a budget I've gone the older used route myself for a tablesaw, bandsaw, and jointer/planer.....in fact the tablesaw I've got is an old Craftsman about 30 yrs old that's solid cast steel.   I went for it because the guy who had it bought a "better" tablesaw shortly afterwards and kept the Craftsman unused in his garage for 29 yrs.  Looks and acts brand new.  My jointer/planer combo is an old Hitachi P12RA that was well cared for.  My advice for your situation would be to make an objective judgement of their condition...if they were well cared for I'd go for the tablesaw, planer, and bandsaw.  The radial saw is overpriced and not essential and the jointer is barely worth it for the price.   Take a look at Grizzly's current prices for jointers...I think you'd be better off buying one new somewhere.  But if those 3 are in good shape for $450 you'd have what you need to start building.

   charlie -- "Count your blessings....it could always be worse!"